Key words: stroke, ultrasound, carotid artery, atherosclerosis

"Non-Invasive Imaging of the Carotid Artery - From structural vessel wall to functional plaque imaging"

Every day, almost 100 people in the Netherlands have a stroke. One of the causes of a stroke is artery calcification in the carotid arteries. Microscopic cracks in this artery calcification cause blood clots which then get stuck downstream in the brain blood vessels and cause oxygen deficiency. These cracks are due to the composition of the artery calcification, but also to the biomechanical forces exerted by the passing blood flow on the arteriosclerosis.

This PhD research focuses on better mapping of artery calcification using ultrasound. This technique makes it possible not only to examine the structure of arteriosclerosis, but also to measure the subtle movements of arterial calcification through the passing blood flow. For this purpose, data from more than 250 participants in the PARISK (Plaque At RISK) study were used.